Amidst the chaos and speculation about the future of DC Studios, Johnson has tried to make a case for continuing Black Adam’s adventures after Variety reported that “the movie stands to lose $50 million to $100 million in its theatrical run, according to the estimates of insiders as well as rival executives with knowledge of similar productions.” Along with an announcement from Deadline, Johnson countered that story, arguing that the movie “will PROFIT between $52M-$72M.” Johnson put the movie’s earnings at “almost $400M worldwide,” which he compared to the profit turned by Captain America: The First Avenger. “We are building our new franchise step by step … for the DC future,” Johnson promised. But according to insiders at Warner Bros., that future isn’t quite so certain. In a report for the Puck newsletter, Matt Belloni claims that “several Warners executives” believe Johnson leaked the more favorable numbers to inform the Deadline article, an article which Belloni says is “filled with false assumptions.” In particular, Puck points to that article’s projections about home media revenues, which may or may not happen. While Belloni allows that “nearly all movies of this size will ultimately pencil out after every window is exhausted over years and years,” that number isn’t certain and a profit cannot be confirmed. As overconfident as it might seem, this type of self-promotion is nothing new, especially for an actor like Johnson. Furthermore, it’s understandable that creatives would be working to defend their projects, especially when the future is so uncertain. Gunn has also assured people that he and Safran have a plan that will be revealed soon. The duo were hired by Zaslav to be the “Kevin Feige” of DC Studios, so we can hopefully expect slideshows and flowcharts thoroughly mapping out future projects. Until then, don’t be surprised if other creatives follow Johnson’s lead and try to secure their place in the changing hierarchy of power.
